IT HAS been the flavour of these hot months so far to give the New Zealand Transport Agency a hard time regarding its road works, but in fairness, I think it hasn't gone too badly. We also have to give NZTA some points for conceding that the daytime surfacing works in 30C heat hasn't worked well, as witness with the works south of the Waingawa Bridge. It was the readers' Facebook responses to a single photograph (and more than a couple of cracked windscreens) that brought about a change in work routine.
The sheer destructive wear and tear on a state highway is enormous and, even when the speed limit is only 50km/h, the volume still hits hard. Featherston's main street has been resurfaced, with fresh road markings and a painted median that makes life easier for getting to the supermarket. With that complete, now the long-promised town square can get under way.
But what Facebook has also revealed is a blissfully happy contractor, doubtless working to some kind of roading formula, has cut carparks from businesses in Featherston. Where there was once a space to pull up for your fish and chips, there's now a broken yellow line; an invitation for a fine. The outrage was brought to my attention on Saturday afternoon while I was wrestling with my garden. A reader knocked on my door to let me know about the travesty outside my local chippie.
Of all the ways to be informed about a story, I confess I like the direct tip-off the best. Much of what we receive is either by direct email, from those who hope we'll do a story on an activity or event (totally fine) or heard about indirectly, as information and photos filtering through the "cloud" of social media, where it was once community notice boards at libraries. But nothing beats a willing, motivated reader stepping up and expecting a newspaper to right a wrong. It is interesting that neither of the two affected Featherston shops have thought to go to the media, and I guess they are satisfied a process will sort things out for them. But when a resident thinks "that's not right," and comes to us, that's when the best kind of stories happen. That's when we call an organisation and say, hey, what's all this about? Give us an answer. And put it right.
